. >>> also the pentagon officially lifted the ban on women in combat today. in reality women have already been in combat for some time, certainly exposed to enemy fire as tammy duckworth can attest to. >>> everyone agrees now is the best time in two decades to push for gun safety laws. today senator dianne feinstein introduced an assault weapons ban. i think we're going to do background checks. >>> and paul broun, who last year called evolution lies straight from the pit of hell, is back at it. he says president obama is upholding, wait for this, the soviet constitution. boy, he's up to date. >>> and this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ male announcer ] coughequence™ #8. waking the baby. [ coughs ] [ baby crying ] ♪ [ male announcer ] robitussin® liquid formula soothes your throat on contact and the active ingredient relieves your cough. robitussin®. don't suffer the coughequences™. i'm also a survivor of ovarian a writand uterine cancers. and the active ingredient relieves your cough. i even wrote a play about that. my symptoms were a pain i